Can Horses Eat Kale?

I was at the farmer’s market the other day, and they had an entire stand dedicated to different varieties of kale.

I never knew there were so many different kinds of kale, and I was fascinated while looking through all of the baskets.

I began to ask the vendor about their crops, and I learned that kale is part of the brassica family and is a cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli.

Kale has a lot of wonderful benefits for humans, and I began to wonder. Can horses eat kale?

The answer is no. Horses cannot eat kale except in minimal amounts. It is toxic to them. Cruciferous vegetables produce gas in the digestive tract, and horses are susceptible to gas. Horses love many kinds of fruits and vegetables, but kale is not safe for them.

Horses maintain a delicate balance in their digestive system to stay healthy.

If the balance is disrupted, horses can suffer severe health effects, even including death.

You may wonder why kale is so bad for horses?

Kale can cause anemia.

Kale, and other dark leafy greens, have a lot of tremendous health benefits for humans.

You can find it in all sorts of trendy health food stores and restaurants, and it’s constantly in the news for its numerous benefits.

However, kale leads to the destruction and inhibition of red blood cells for humans and horses alike.

Including kale as a regular part of a horse’s diet would lead to anemia.

Of course, one or two leaves wouldn’t hurt, but feeding kale regularly will lead to health problems.

Kale produces gas

Gas is another dangerous result of eating kale as a regular part of a horse’s diet.

Gas leads to colic, which can be deadly in a horse if the signs go unnoticed.

Colic is a build-up of gas within the colon of the horse due to undigested starches that begin to ferment.

This fermentation process leads to a change in the delicate pH within the digestive system.

When fed an improper diet consistently for too long, the disrupted pH can lead to a deadly condition called laminitis.

Laminitis is inflammation of the soft tissue surrounding the pedal bone of the horse and will cause the horse pain.

You will notice the horse laying down more often or shifting weight to avoid causing more pain.

Laminitis can lead to severe health problems such as deformities that incapacitate the horse or even death.

If kale can cause these terrible health ailments, you may wonder if you should avoid other cruciferous vegetables.

Is cooked kale safe for horses?

Cooking the kale does not improve its safety for horses, unfortunately.

The cooking process does decrease the availability of its nutrients, however.

Nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamin C, and minerals will be lost if cooked.

Some sources say that between 50 – 80 percent of some nutrients will be lost if it is fully cooked.

Is raw kale safe for horses?

Though raw kale is a significantly better source of nutrients, and an even better source of crunch, it will still cause significant problems for your beloved horse if given more than just a small amount.

It’s best to keep the kale in the kitchen rather than the stables.

Are there any types of horses that can eat kale?

There are several breeds of horses that look very different from each other.

Whether comparing stature, color, or general body proportions you can find a lot of variety.

That may lead you to wonder if there are any kinds of horses that would be safe eating kale.

Though the breed differences between the small Shetland Pony and the very large Clydesdale (just to name a couple) are very obvious on the outside, the digestive systems are much the same.

Kale isn’t a safe choice for any type of horse, except in very small quantities.

In smaller horses, the amount of kale that would be safe to eat is smaller than in a large horse, but kale is still not a healthy diet choice.

Can horses eat any other greens?

Kale is a dark green leafy vegetable and looks very similar to other greens such as turnip greens, spinach, or collard greens.

These vegetables are full of wonderful nutrients but share the same dangers as kale.

In small quantities these other vegetables may not be harmful.

You may want to include some of the excellent nutrients that are present in these greens in your horse’s diet, but I suggest you consider alternate options instead.

What vegetables can horses eat safely?

Calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin K and antioxidants are just some of the nutrients in kale that are beneficial to your horse.

Some healthier alternatives include sweet potatoes or oranges for calcium, vitamin C, and iron.

Green beans are a crunchy and safe alternative for vitamin K and antioxidants.

With a little care and attention, you can find safe vegetable and fruit treats for your horse that provide as many nutrients or more as kale.

Your horse may love to eat leaves, and if you really want to allow them to indulge occasionally, try to choose the most densely nutritious greens to give them.

Remember to keep the quantity small so that you don’t overwhelm the digestive system and cause unintended harm to your horse.

If you want to play it safe, you can find many safer options just as nutritious as kale. It may be better to avoid these foods entirely and opt for safe alternatives.

Don’t forget, most fruits and vegetables should only be given as occasional treats.

A horse’s primary diet should be live grass or hay.

Ultimately the choice will be up to you.

Everyone will have a different opinion on whether the risk is worth the benefit of feeding horses any of the foods on this list.

Whether you do or don’t feed kale to your horse, always introduce new foods one at a time and slowly learn what’s best for YOUR horse.